About syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). It is caused by bacteria and can cause serious health problems if left untreated. However, it is easy to cure if found early.
Syphilis is rare in Australia, but the numbers are increasing, especially in men who have sex with men and young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia. There has also been an increase in the rate of syphilis in Victoria in recent years.
Case definitions
National guidelines
Prevention, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
Some people with syphilis have no symptoms, so you may not know you have it unless you get tested. There are 4 stages of syphilis infection:
- primary
- secondary
- latent
- tertiary.
The signs and symptoms of syphilis depend on the stage of disease.
For information about prevention, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, see healthdirect's syphilis page.
Surveillance and reporting
Syphilis is a nationally notifiable disease.
We monitor cases through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) and report data in our quarterly national syphilis monitoring reports.
For more on syphilis in Australia, you can search Communicable Diseases Intelligence.
Related work
Our National strategies for bloodborne viruses and sexually transmissible infections address syphilis. Other work related to syphilis includes:
- Don't fool around with syphilis campaign
-
National response to syphilis program
-
Young Deadly Free program.